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Jill Morrison | 30 Years of Protecting Wyoming’s Land, Water and Air
Jill Morrison grew up on her family’s farm in Western Nebraska. The farm fell victim to the 1980s’ farm crisis, forcing the family to sell off sections of the land, piece by piece. “My connection to the land comes from my heritage. I come from farmers and ranchers on both sides of my family,”…
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Irv Alderson: Country of Origin Labeling
Rancher Irv Alderson leaned against an old post near the tack barn at Bones Brothers Ranch near Birney, Montana. The Bones Brothers Ranch brand stamped proudly on the doors of the barn is over 130 years old. Irv readjusted his hat and looked out across the home pastures. “I grew up looking through this…
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Grass King Cattle & Produce Company
In 2017, the U.S. Department of Agriculture found the average American farm operated at a net loss — requiring off-farm income and health insurance just to break even. Today, Jim and Karen Zezas are defying the odds through niche marketing and a diversified operation. Jim and Karen own and operate Grass King Cattle and…
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Holding on to the Ranch: Don Lumbardy
Don Lumbardy was born in 1948 in Mesa County, just 20 miles west of the ranch he stands on today. Lumbardy Ranch is nestled north of the Gunnison River, several miles north of the 209,610-acre Dominguez Escalante National Conservation Area, and at the western foot of the Grand Mesa National Forest. Looking out across…
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John Brown: A Passion for Soil Health
John Brown views his life in cycles. He categorizes his life into different phases that have all been integral to form who he is today and how he came to be so devoted to soil health in this cycle of his life. Looking out across grassy, northern plains pastures in Shepherd, Montana, John explains…
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Booms and Busts: A century of trying to protect a family ranch
Above: LJ and Karen Turner at the Turnercrest Ranch. A homemade wooden sign hangs on a wooden post right off Highway 387, about an hour south of Gillette, Wyo. Beyond the sign is a long stretch of dusty road. A couple deer stand on alert in the tall prairie grasses, and beyond them, water…
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Annika Charter Williams: Food Hub
Above: Annika Charter-Williams holds her son, Willie, and daughter, Stevie at their ranch in Shepherd, Montana. Annika Charter Williams helps her 4-year-old daughter Stevie pull on a pair of pink and brown cowboy boots. It’s early morning in late-August. Annika’s father, Steve, rides up to his daughter and granddaughter on a chestnut brown horse.…
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Sara Hollenbeck:High Five Meats
Above: Sara Hollenbeck at home in Molt, Montana. Sara Hollenbeck has spent the past five years embracing the chaos that comes with running a ranch, marketing a product and becoming a mom. Sara, her husband Henry, and her father-in-law Mike Hollenbeck run High Five Meats in Molt, Montana. Together, they manage 2,500 sheep, 200…
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Kristi Mogen:Fighting CAFOs
Above: Kristi Mogen at home in Revillo, South Dakota. Kristi Mogen and her family left Wyoming after an oil field near their home threatened their health. “In 2012, an oil field moved into Wyoming…into our neighborhood. The first wells were about two miles from our house. We had this beautiful house, had mountain views,…
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Gilles Stockton: Communities Over Corporations for Fair Trade System
Above: Gilles Stockton at his home in Grass, Range Montana. “In 1920 Grass Range was served by a railroad spur. There were two banks, three automobile and farm machinery dealers, hotels, department stores, a doctor, a pharmacy…and today Grass Range is a ghost town,” said Gilles Stockton. Gilles was born in France. His father…